Sermon Illustrations for Baptism of Our Lord (2017)
Illustration
Object:
Isaiah 42:1-9
“Here is my servant,” proclaims the Lord. To serve and to be a servant is not a common aspiration in our 21st-century world. We are more likely to enjoy being in charge, making decisions, and being served rather than serving others. Yet God is calling the whole nation of Israel, the faithful, to be servants, to serve one another and the realm of God. They are to put aside idols, the past, and the hierarchies, and serve one another.
Jesus reminds the disciples of the same behavior. They are called to serve, not to rule, not to lord over others. When’s the last time you offered service to someone other than your family? When did you cater to the needs of another with an open and willing heart? When did you think about how you might surrender in service to someone you see as the “least” or “less than”? And believe me, there are some among us who, even if we are reluctant to admit it, see others as the “least” or “less than.” Adopt a servant heart this year. Focus on those whom you can serve through charity, through compassion, through advocacy, through direct engagement, and then reflect on how your life changes.
Bonnie B.
Isaiah 42:1-9
My daughter and her husband are dog lovers. While visiting them recently, I had the chance to get to know their “fur baby” Maya. Now, I am not usually a fan of dogs, but I have to say I did enjoy getting to connect with Maya. Often the four of us would go on hikes or walks across the beautiful Alaskan countryside. I did notice how well-behaved Maya was. She did not run wildly or get out of control at any point in time. I don’t know for sure, but I wondered if Kimber and Sean might have used what’s called a “Gentle Leader.” Here’s what the advertisement says:
More than 5 million dog owners have found the secret to controlling their dogs on walks. Imagine if each time your dog tugged on the leash, it turned him around. He just might find that he’s not getting anywhere. That’s the whole idea. The Gentle Leader head collar fits securely over your dog’s nose. The nose loop redirects his head towards you when he pulls forward, preventing pulling and giving you his full attention.
I think, just by reading the description, that a “Gentle Leader” would be a help to most dogs and dog owners. That phrase “Gentle Leader” also struck a chord with me in thinking about this text. This passage from Isaiah is quoted again in Matthew, and is used in reference to Jesus. The part that I noticed particularly was: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.” There is a gentleness to the way the Messiah leads. It is true, no doubt, that the following the Messiah means change and the giving up of one’s will in submission to his. However, there seems to be a tenderness to the Messiah as well. I suppose it is a bit like the “Gentle Leader” for dogs. If a dog benefits from a “Gentle Leader,” can people do any less?
Bill T.
Isaiah 42:1-9
The suffering servant described by Isaiah is interpreted by Christians to be Jesus. It used to be said that “the Jews” were looking for a military messiah and did not recognize the mission of Jesus to be the suffering servant. Well, first of all, it’s wrong to say “the Jews,” as if every first-century (or 21st-century) practitioner of any faith is like every other believer in that faith. We Christians come in many different varieties. So do (and did) our Jewish cousins.
More to the point, scholarship is recent years recognizes that in the first century there were many different denominations in Judaism, and it’s seeming more and more certain that it wasn’t only Christians who identified the suffering servant as the messiah. More than one branch of Judaism looked for a suffering servant to come. Avoid generalizations about Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, or the practitioners in any other faith.
Frank R.
Isaiah 42:1-9
Who is God talking to? Is his servant only the pastor or a synod officer? It does seem to be someone whom God has chosen. Does he choose everyone? Is this passage for you, a member of a congregation? Before I could be chosen to do anything for the Lord, I had to get approval from my pastor and the congregation. I could not teach in the Sunday school or serve on the council without a call from the church. I couldn’t even be the janitor! God’s call is unique! This passage is talking about someone who is far beyond any of us.
It is speaking of someone more than a pastor or teacher or custodian. It is talking about giving that person the gift of reaching people at home and all over the world. It could be just anyone in the church, but the members would have to recognize that the chosen member had those gifts.
Isaiah is not only talking about the Jewish people. He seems to be talking mainly of the coming messiah, who has all the characteristics mentioned. The messiah is the only one who could do all those things. He is more than a servant (though that is what he was when on earth), he is the Son who obeyed the Father. He is also our example! We will never succeed, but we must always try -- and we need God’s Spirit to even come close.
Bob O.
Acts 10:34-43
The campaign of Donald Trump and various apparently unwarranted police shootings of African-Americans make clear that racism continues to plague American society. Comments by eminent social commentator Cornel West warrant attention: “Racism is a moral catastrophe, most graphically seen in the prison-industrial complex and target police surveillance in black and brown ghettos rendered invisible in public discourse.” Observations by Martin Luther King Jr. are still relevant: “Yet the largest portion of white America is still poisoned by racism, which is as native to our soil as pine trees, sagebrush, and buffalo grass. Equally native to us is the concept that gross exploitation of the Negro is acceptable, if not commendable” (A Testament of Hope, p. 316).
Our lesson reminds us that baptism is for everyone, that it crosses ethnic lines. A document of the Roman Catholic Second Vatican Council nicely describes how baptism links us to each other: “Through baptism we are formed in the likeness of Christ: ‘For in one Spirit we are all baptized into one body’ (1 Corinthians 12:13)... Giving the body unity through himself, both by his own power and by the interior union of the members, this same Spirit produces and stimulates love among the faithful. From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him” (Documents of Vatican II, p. 355).
This commitment nicely relates to the Lutheran Augsburg Confession’s claim that love is the bond that binds together the many members of the Church (Book of Concord [2000 edition], p. 155). For Martin Luther this commitment is a function of our being formed like Christ and has implications for identifying with all Christians, even those different from us or weak: “Christ has in himself upheld the honor of God by receiving us and bearing, yes, exterminating our sins. So should we likewise take upon ourselves the burden, the sins and imperfections, of our neighbors, and bear with and help reform them” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 3/2, p. 55). “The Christian’s whole purpose in life is to be useful to mankind; not to cast out the individual, but to exterminate his vices. This we cannot do if we refuse to tolerate the faulty person” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 3/2, p. 36).
Baptism makes us this kind of person who will say no to racial and ethnic barriers.
Mark E.
Acts 10:34-43
Running home from school, the lad fell and skinned his knee. The 13-year-old ignored the cut until days later, when his leg was infected and swollen. Dr. Conklin, summoned to the home, examined the leg and advised amputation. The adolescent refused. Ordering his brother Ed to guard the bedroom door, the boy intended to wait out the infection. Barred from the room for several days, Dr. Conklin resigned from the case. Alone, frightened, the boy’s parents worried. They knew of only one thing they could do for the ailing child. The parents went to their son’s room, and kneeling bedside they prayed for healing. Then the family began a prayer vigil. Someone was always beside the bed praying: Mom, Dad, one of the four brothers. Believing, knowing there would be a healing, the seven endured by faith. On the third day of the prayer vigil Dr. Conklin returned. Upon examining the patient the doctor bowed his head, offering a prayer of thanksgiving, for the youth was recovering. By nightfall the boy could stand, and Dwight David Eisenhower walked on to become the 34th president of the United States.
Application: Peter’s sermon tells us that we can trust in Jesus.
Ron L.
Matthew 3:13-17
“This is my beloved,” the voice says from the heavens. Whom do you call beloved? Is it a spouse or a child or a grandchild, maybe even a great-grandchild? Who do you love? How do you love? Why do you love? While these questions might seem easy or even unnecessary, I want us to think about love today, right now.
If I only love those whom I choose, then I am like everyone else. If I only love my family or those who agree with me, then I am like everyone else. There is no great sacrifice in loving those who are lovable. It is loving the seemingly unlovable that is the test of my faith and my adherence to the call of God. John questions the need for him to baptize Jesus, for he knows who Jesus is. But Jesus is clear: “Do your job, John. This is the task God has set before you.” So this morning Jesus reminds us: “Do your job. Do the task God has set before you. Love one another, as I have loved you.”
Bonnie B.
Matthew 3:13-17
An old Chinese proverb says that “a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.” I think we know that’s true. A future doctor sits in a kindergarten class today and is learning to read. In that same school a future basketball star is learning to dribble in the gym. In the fifth-grade class at that same elementary school a future police officer is part of a safety patrol leading kindergartners to the afternoon bus. In the middle school down the street a future chemist is putting on goggles for the first time. Everyone who has ever done great things and accomplished feats that go down in history begins somewhere.
In our text we see the beginning of Jesus’ journey to bring salvation. It would be a long journey, with all kinds of things happening along the way. The miracles, the teaching, the confrontations, the anger, the rejection, the rejoicing, the cross, the grave, and the empty tomb all lay ahead. While I am convinced that Jesus knew from birth his task and what it meant, his baptism signals that his journey has begun. His public ministry has started. Notice the response from his Father: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” The journey that culminates in an empty tomb and an announcement that “he is not here; he has risen” starts on the bank of the Jordan River. Jesus’ step into the Jordan’s waters leads to our first step home. Funny how important a single step can be.
Bill T.
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus obeyed all the commands of God when he was in the form of a human. He was giving us an example to follow. Even John was surprised. Jesus had to walk about 30 miles to the Jordan. One of his purposes was to be recognized by the people through John’s introduction.
Baptism was partly for sin, which Jesus did not have, but he followed the standard practice for all human beings. It was a symbol of holiness. It was also a symbol of obedience. He was setting an example for all! It was also an example of holiness.
The Bible does not say if he was immersed -- it just says that he came out of the water. Immersion was not necessary.
My friend who was a professor still had to go through all the standard routines when he was introduced to his class. He had to fill out the paperwork after his education was complete, and then he had to be recognized by the school that called him. Jesus always obeyed the rules given him by his Father in heaven, even though some might seem humiliating and unnecessary.
Baptism was the beginning for him, as it is for us.
Bob O.
Matthew 3:13-17
Each version of the baptism of Jesus may be so familiar to us that we think there’s nothing new to see, hear, or say. Yet it strikes me that the Baptist’s response to a request by Jesus to be baptized has a nuance we may not notice. Yes, John recognizes Jesus for who he is, and yes, John recognizes that he is not worthy to untie his sandal strap. But Jesus wants to be baptized, and John looks for reasons why he doesn’t have to do it.
What does that remind me of? So often when someone new to the church asks if they can help wash the dishes or serve the church meal or help with a building project or pass out bulletins, they’re told they don’t need to help. It’s already covered. It doesn’t matter if you have people washing dishes who are used to working with each other and always help -- put down your dish towel and make room for someone new to help. John the Baptist played Captain Bringdown to Jesus’ desire to be baptized. You don’t have to be Captain Bringdown to every offer from someone else to join the party!
Frank R.
“Here is my servant,” proclaims the Lord. To serve and to be a servant is not a common aspiration in our 21st-century world. We are more likely to enjoy being in charge, making decisions, and being served rather than serving others. Yet God is calling the whole nation of Israel, the faithful, to be servants, to serve one another and the realm of God. They are to put aside idols, the past, and the hierarchies, and serve one another.
Jesus reminds the disciples of the same behavior. They are called to serve, not to rule, not to lord over others. When’s the last time you offered service to someone other than your family? When did you cater to the needs of another with an open and willing heart? When did you think about how you might surrender in service to someone you see as the “least” or “less than”? And believe me, there are some among us who, even if we are reluctant to admit it, see others as the “least” or “less than.” Adopt a servant heart this year. Focus on those whom you can serve through charity, through compassion, through advocacy, through direct engagement, and then reflect on how your life changes.
Bonnie B.
Isaiah 42:1-9
My daughter and her husband are dog lovers. While visiting them recently, I had the chance to get to know their “fur baby” Maya. Now, I am not usually a fan of dogs, but I have to say I did enjoy getting to connect with Maya. Often the four of us would go on hikes or walks across the beautiful Alaskan countryside. I did notice how well-behaved Maya was. She did not run wildly or get out of control at any point in time. I don’t know for sure, but I wondered if Kimber and Sean might have used what’s called a “Gentle Leader.” Here’s what the advertisement says:
More than 5 million dog owners have found the secret to controlling their dogs on walks. Imagine if each time your dog tugged on the leash, it turned him around. He just might find that he’s not getting anywhere. That’s the whole idea. The Gentle Leader head collar fits securely over your dog’s nose. The nose loop redirects his head towards you when he pulls forward, preventing pulling and giving you his full attention.
I think, just by reading the description, that a “Gentle Leader” would be a help to most dogs and dog owners. That phrase “Gentle Leader” also struck a chord with me in thinking about this text. This passage from Isaiah is quoted again in Matthew, and is used in reference to Jesus. The part that I noticed particularly was: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench.” There is a gentleness to the way the Messiah leads. It is true, no doubt, that the following the Messiah means change and the giving up of one’s will in submission to his. However, there seems to be a tenderness to the Messiah as well. I suppose it is a bit like the “Gentle Leader” for dogs. If a dog benefits from a “Gentle Leader,” can people do any less?
Bill T.
Isaiah 42:1-9
The suffering servant described by Isaiah is interpreted by Christians to be Jesus. It used to be said that “the Jews” were looking for a military messiah and did not recognize the mission of Jesus to be the suffering servant. Well, first of all, it’s wrong to say “the Jews,” as if every first-century (or 21st-century) practitioner of any faith is like every other believer in that faith. We Christians come in many different varieties. So do (and did) our Jewish cousins.
More to the point, scholarship is recent years recognizes that in the first century there were many different denominations in Judaism, and it’s seeming more and more certain that it wasn’t only Christians who identified the suffering servant as the messiah. More than one branch of Judaism looked for a suffering servant to come. Avoid generalizations about Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, or the practitioners in any other faith.
Frank R.
Isaiah 42:1-9
Who is God talking to? Is his servant only the pastor or a synod officer? It does seem to be someone whom God has chosen. Does he choose everyone? Is this passage for you, a member of a congregation? Before I could be chosen to do anything for the Lord, I had to get approval from my pastor and the congregation. I could not teach in the Sunday school or serve on the council without a call from the church. I couldn’t even be the janitor! God’s call is unique! This passage is talking about someone who is far beyond any of us.
It is speaking of someone more than a pastor or teacher or custodian. It is talking about giving that person the gift of reaching people at home and all over the world. It could be just anyone in the church, but the members would have to recognize that the chosen member had those gifts.
Isaiah is not only talking about the Jewish people. He seems to be talking mainly of the coming messiah, who has all the characteristics mentioned. The messiah is the only one who could do all those things. He is more than a servant (though that is what he was when on earth), he is the Son who obeyed the Father. He is also our example! We will never succeed, but we must always try -- and we need God’s Spirit to even come close.
Bob O.
Acts 10:34-43
The campaign of Donald Trump and various apparently unwarranted police shootings of African-Americans make clear that racism continues to plague American society. Comments by eminent social commentator Cornel West warrant attention: “Racism is a moral catastrophe, most graphically seen in the prison-industrial complex and target police surveillance in black and brown ghettos rendered invisible in public discourse.” Observations by Martin Luther King Jr. are still relevant: “Yet the largest portion of white America is still poisoned by racism, which is as native to our soil as pine trees, sagebrush, and buffalo grass. Equally native to us is the concept that gross exploitation of the Negro is acceptable, if not commendable” (A Testament of Hope, p. 316).
Our lesson reminds us that baptism is for everyone, that it crosses ethnic lines. A document of the Roman Catholic Second Vatican Council nicely describes how baptism links us to each other: “Through baptism we are formed in the likeness of Christ: ‘For in one Spirit we are all baptized into one body’ (1 Corinthians 12:13)... Giving the body unity through himself, both by his own power and by the interior union of the members, this same Spirit produces and stimulates love among the faithful. From this it follows that if one member suffers anything, all the members suffer with him” (Documents of Vatican II, p. 355).
This commitment nicely relates to the Lutheran Augsburg Confession’s claim that love is the bond that binds together the many members of the Church (Book of Concord [2000 edition], p. 155). For Martin Luther this commitment is a function of our being formed like Christ and has implications for identifying with all Christians, even those different from us or weak: “Christ has in himself upheld the honor of God by receiving us and bearing, yes, exterminating our sins. So should we likewise take upon ourselves the burden, the sins and imperfections, of our neighbors, and bear with and help reform them” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 3/2, p. 55). “The Christian’s whole purpose in life is to be useful to mankind; not to cast out the individual, but to exterminate his vices. This we cannot do if we refuse to tolerate the faulty person” (Complete Sermons, Vol. 3/2, p. 36).
Baptism makes us this kind of person who will say no to racial and ethnic barriers.
Mark E.
Acts 10:34-43
Running home from school, the lad fell and skinned his knee. The 13-year-old ignored the cut until days later, when his leg was infected and swollen. Dr. Conklin, summoned to the home, examined the leg and advised amputation. The adolescent refused. Ordering his brother Ed to guard the bedroom door, the boy intended to wait out the infection. Barred from the room for several days, Dr. Conklin resigned from the case. Alone, frightened, the boy’s parents worried. They knew of only one thing they could do for the ailing child. The parents went to their son’s room, and kneeling bedside they prayed for healing. Then the family began a prayer vigil. Someone was always beside the bed praying: Mom, Dad, one of the four brothers. Believing, knowing there would be a healing, the seven endured by faith. On the third day of the prayer vigil Dr. Conklin returned. Upon examining the patient the doctor bowed his head, offering a prayer of thanksgiving, for the youth was recovering. By nightfall the boy could stand, and Dwight David Eisenhower walked on to become the 34th president of the United States.
Application: Peter’s sermon tells us that we can trust in Jesus.
Ron L.
Matthew 3:13-17
“This is my beloved,” the voice says from the heavens. Whom do you call beloved? Is it a spouse or a child or a grandchild, maybe even a great-grandchild? Who do you love? How do you love? Why do you love? While these questions might seem easy or even unnecessary, I want us to think about love today, right now.
If I only love those whom I choose, then I am like everyone else. If I only love my family or those who agree with me, then I am like everyone else. There is no great sacrifice in loving those who are lovable. It is loving the seemingly unlovable that is the test of my faith and my adherence to the call of God. John questions the need for him to baptize Jesus, for he knows who Jesus is. But Jesus is clear: “Do your job, John. This is the task God has set before you.” So this morning Jesus reminds us: “Do your job. Do the task God has set before you. Love one another, as I have loved you.”
Bonnie B.
Matthew 3:13-17
An old Chinese proverb says that “a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step.” I think we know that’s true. A future doctor sits in a kindergarten class today and is learning to read. In that same school a future basketball star is learning to dribble in the gym. In the fifth-grade class at that same elementary school a future police officer is part of a safety patrol leading kindergartners to the afternoon bus. In the middle school down the street a future chemist is putting on goggles for the first time. Everyone who has ever done great things and accomplished feats that go down in history begins somewhere.
In our text we see the beginning of Jesus’ journey to bring salvation. It would be a long journey, with all kinds of things happening along the way. The miracles, the teaching, the confrontations, the anger, the rejection, the rejoicing, the cross, the grave, and the empty tomb all lay ahead. While I am convinced that Jesus knew from birth his task and what it meant, his baptism signals that his journey has begun. His public ministry has started. Notice the response from his Father: “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” The journey that culminates in an empty tomb and an announcement that “he is not here; he has risen” starts on the bank of the Jordan River. Jesus’ step into the Jordan’s waters leads to our first step home. Funny how important a single step can be.
Bill T.
Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus obeyed all the commands of God when he was in the form of a human. He was giving us an example to follow. Even John was surprised. Jesus had to walk about 30 miles to the Jordan. One of his purposes was to be recognized by the people through John’s introduction.
Baptism was partly for sin, which Jesus did not have, but he followed the standard practice for all human beings. It was a symbol of holiness. It was also a symbol of obedience. He was setting an example for all! It was also an example of holiness.
The Bible does not say if he was immersed -- it just says that he came out of the water. Immersion was not necessary.
My friend who was a professor still had to go through all the standard routines when he was introduced to his class. He had to fill out the paperwork after his education was complete, and then he had to be recognized by the school that called him. Jesus always obeyed the rules given him by his Father in heaven, even though some might seem humiliating and unnecessary.
Baptism was the beginning for him, as it is for us.
Bob O.
Matthew 3:13-17
Each version of the baptism of Jesus may be so familiar to us that we think there’s nothing new to see, hear, or say. Yet it strikes me that the Baptist’s response to a request by Jesus to be baptized has a nuance we may not notice. Yes, John recognizes Jesus for who he is, and yes, John recognizes that he is not worthy to untie his sandal strap. But Jesus wants to be baptized, and John looks for reasons why he doesn’t have to do it.
What does that remind me of? So often when someone new to the church asks if they can help wash the dishes or serve the church meal or help with a building project or pass out bulletins, they’re told they don’t need to help. It’s already covered. It doesn’t matter if you have people washing dishes who are used to working with each other and always help -- put down your dish towel and make room for someone new to help. John the Baptist played Captain Bringdown to Jesus’ desire to be baptized. You don’t have to be Captain Bringdown to every offer from someone else to join the party!
Frank R.
